New Years Day, 2013

I went out at 8:30 in the morning. The grounds of the hotel were completely empty and silent, as though everybody had danced themselves into a deep, fairy-tale sleep. I walked around taking photographs of sunbeams filtering through the tall trees.

I passed the little temple to Ganesha, who looks after beginnings. A hotel employee, the first person I had seen, was sitting on a bench, praying. As I passed he finished, stood up, and rang the temple bell three times. Suddenly I heard voices from all sides, as though he had signaled for the world to wake up.